ICOM racing to fill Thai gap after DDB buys into Far East

<p>HONG KONG: Thailand is a key membership gap which the International </p><p>Communications Agency Network (ICOM) wants to quickly plug this year </p><p>after DDB bought member agency, Far East Advertising. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>ICOM - one of the world's largest network of independent advertising and </p><p>marketing communications agencies - is also looking to add a second </p><p>agency member in Australia this year, said the group's newly-elected </p><p>vice-president Guillermo Garcia. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Garcia, chairman of Manila's Adformatix, was elected to the post at </p><p>ICOM's annual global meeting in New York at the end of last month. He is </p><p>also Asia-Pacific regional director for the network. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>ICOM members also elected Franco Sotomayor, chief executive of Puerto </p><p>Rico's Premier Maldonado & Associates, as their president. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Both officers will lead the network, which has USdollars 3 billion in </p><p>billings and 90 members, over the next two years. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>More than 53 agency principals and top managers from 30 countries </p><p>attended the New York gathering, where members agreed that another </p><p>priority is to find business sharing opportunities in each of the </p><p>regions. "The European members of ICOM have been very aggressive in </p><p>building multi-agency business. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In the Asia-Pacific region, we've identified business opportunities </p><p>among partner agencies. This shall be accelerated," said Garcia. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Garcia said the network identified several clients for "special </p><p>attention". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Clients like Gallo Wines, Mars/Ebly food products, Toshiba copiers and </p><p>printers and Case Construction equipment have benefited from the </p><p>coordinated work of the network," he added. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>ICOM pointed to two business sharing opportunities - JI Case for the </p><p>Fiat Group and Mars/Ebly - achieved by its European members, led by the </p><p>Dassas Group. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"As a result of the success of its Ebly brand in France, the Mars Group </p><p>is working with ICOM agencies in a number of western European countries </p><p>and in the Middle East," according to ICOM. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>